The seven bills are designed to link Australia’s carbon pricing mechanism to overseas emissions trading schemes from 1 July 2015, which is when the Australian carbon pricing mechanism is scheduled to transition to an emissions trading scheme.(For more information on the carbon pricing mechanism and how it works, please see the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.)

This means that Australian "liable entities" (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases) will be able to trade carbon units with credible overseas emissions trading schemes such as the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme. Such businesses will be able to use eligible international carbon units to meet up to 50 per cent of their annual liability.

The seven bills are designed to link Australia’s carbon pricing mechanism to overseas emissions trading schemes from 1 July 2015, which is when the Australian carbon pricing mechanism is scheduled to transition to an emissions trading scheme.(For more information on the carbon pricing mechanism and how it works, please see the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.)

This means that Australian "liable entities" (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases) will be able to trade carbon units with credible overseas emissions trading schemes such as the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme. Such businesses will be able to use eligible international carbon units to meet up to 50 per cent of their annual liability.

The majority voted against a motion that: "the House declines to give this bill a second reading and calls on the Government to immediately abolish all liability and scrap the carbon tax"

The motion was introduced by Liberal MP Tony Abbott, Leader of the Opposition.

Since the majority of members voted No, the motion did not succeed and that the bills could continue to be discussed.

Background to the motion

By “carbon tax”, the motion refers to Australia’s carbon pricing mechanism which began on 1 July 2012.(For more information on the carbon pricing mechanism and how it works, please see the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.) The mechanism requires liable entities (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases) to pay a price for their carbon emissions.

The bills being discussed when the motion was put are a package of seven bills designed to link Australia’s carbon pricing mechanism to overseas emissions trading schemes from 1 July 2015, which is when the Australian carbon pricing mechanism is scheduled to transition to an emissions trading scheme.

This means that Australian "liable entities" (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases) would be able to trade carbon units with credible overseas emissions trading schemes such as the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme. Such businesses would be able to use eligible international carbon units to meet up to 50 per cent of their annual liability.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill a second time, which was moved by Labor MP Greg Combet.(Read Labor MP Combet's explanation of the bill here. )

This means that the members agree with the main idea of the bill and can now either discuss it in detail or vote to read the bill a third time without further consideration, which would mean that the bill is passed in the House and can be sent to the Senator for their consideration.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill a second time, which was moved by Labor MP Greg Combet.(Read Labor MP Combet's explanation of the bill here. )

This means that the members agree with the main idea of the bill and can now either discuss it in detail or vote to read the bill a third time without further consideration, which would mean that the bill is passed in the House and can be sent to the Senator for their consideration.

Background to the bill

The Clean Energy (Customs Tariff Amendment) Bill 2012 is part of a package of three bills to include non-transport gaseous fuels in the carbon pricing mechanism. This would mean that the carbon pricing mechanism would apply to compressed natural gas from 1 July 2012. It would also apply to non-transport liquid petroleum gas and liquefied natural gas from 1 July 2013.

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill a second time.

This means that the members agree with the main idea of the bill and can now either discuss it in detail or vote to read the bill a third time without further consideration, which would mean that the bill is passed in the House and can be sent to the Senator for their consideration.

Background to the bill

The Clean Energy Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 is part of a package of three bills to include non-transport gaseous fuels in the carbon pricing mechanism. This would mean that the carbon pricing mechanism would apply to compressed natural gas from 1 July 2012. It would also apply to non-transport liquid petroleum gas and liquefied natural gas from 1 July 2013.

Labor MP Greg Combet, who introduced the bills, explains that this bill was developed in response to consultation with the gaseous fuel sector, which had “expressed a strong preference to be able to access the carbon market” rather than paying the carbon price through a fuel tax arrangement.(Read MP Combet's whole explanation here. )

The carbon pricing mechanism is an emissions trading scheme which will commence on 1 July 2012.(See the Clean Energy Regulator’s website for more information on how it works.)

The majority voted in favour of a motion that the bills be read a third time.

This means that the bills were passed in the House of Representatives and will now be sent to the Senate.

The eighteen bills are a package to implement a carbon pricing mechanism,(Read more about the carbon pricing mechanism on the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.) which is a key policy of the Labor Government.

The carbon pricing mechanism is set to begin on 1 July 2012. It is an emissions trading scheme that puts a price on carbon emissions. It will apply to “liable entities” (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases). Initially the price of carbon will be fixed by the mechanism but from 1 July 2015 the price will be set by the market.

The majority voted in favour of a motion that: the bills ..., as amended, be agreed to

Passing this motion ended the discussion of the bills in detail. The next step is to vote on whether to read the bills a third time and therefore to pass them in the House of Representatives.(That vote is available here. )

The eighteen bills are a package to implement a carbon pricing mechanism,(Read more about the carbon pricing mechanism on the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.) which is a key policy of the Labor Government.

The carbon pricing mechanism is set to begin on 1 July 2012. It is an emissions trading scheme that puts a price on carbon emissions. It will apply to “liable entities” (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases). Initially the price of carbon will be fixed by the mechanism but from 1 July 2015 the price will be set by the market.

The majority voted against an amendment to the Clean Energy (Fuel Tax Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011 that would further limit the coverage of the carbon price so that it would not apply to businesses whose annual use of taxable fuel has a carbon equivalence of less than 25 000 tonnes.

The Labor Government opposed the amendment as it considered that the costs of the carbon price had already been addressed by its household assistance package and support for particularly affected industries.(See the discussion on the amendment here. )

The Clean Energy (Fuel Tax Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011 is part of a package of eighteen bills to implement a carbon pricing mechanism, which is a key policy of the Labor Government.

The carbon pricing mechanism is set to begin on 1 July 2012.(Read more about the carbon pricing mechanism on the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.) It is an emissions trading scheme that puts a price on carbon emissions. It will apply to “liable entities” (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases). Initially the price of carbon will be fixed by the mechanism but from 1 July 2015 the price will be set by the market.

The carbon pricing mechanism is set to begin on 1 July 2012.(Read more about the carbon pricing mechanism on the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.) It is an emissions trading scheme that puts a price on carbon emissions. It will apply to “liable entities” (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases). Initially the price of carbon will be fixed by the mechanism but from 1 July 2015 the price will be set by the market.

The majority voted in favour of a number of Government amendments to the Clean Energy Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011, the Clean Energy (Household Assistance Amendments) Bill 2011 and the Clean Energy Regulator Bill 2011.(The amendments are available to read here and here. ) The amendments were introduced by Labor MP Greg Combet.

The four bills are part of a package of eighteen bills to implement a carbon pricing mechanism, which is a key policy of the Australian Labor Party while in Government.

The carbon pricing mechanism is set to commence on 1 July 2012.(For more information on the carbon pricing mechanism and how it works, please see the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.) It is an emissions trading scheme that will put a price on carbon emissions. It will apply to “liable entities” (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases). Initially the price of carbon will be fixed by the mechanism but from 1 July 2015 the price will be set by the market.

The majority in favour of a motion that the bills be read a second time.

This means that the members agree with the main idea of the bills and can now discuss them in detail.

The eighteen bills are a package to implement a carbon pricing mechanism,(Read more about the carbon pricing mechanism on the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.) which is a key policy of the Labor Government.

The carbon pricing mechanism is set to begin on 1 July 2012. It is an emissions trading scheme that puts a price on carbon emissions. It will apply to “liable entities” (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases). Initially the price of carbon will be fixed by the mechanism but from 1 July 2015 the price will be set by the market.

The majority voted against a motion to read the Carbon Tax Plebiscite Bill 2011 a second time.(Read more about the bill here. )

This means that the majority of members rejected the main idea of the bill and so it will not be considered any further.

Debate in Parliament

The bill called for a referendum to be held on 26 November 2011 on whether the Government should introduce the carbon pricing mechanism. It was introduced by Tony Abbott MP, the Leader of the Opposition, as a private member's bill.(Read MP Abbott's explanation of the bill here. )

Several Labor MPs described the bill as a "stunt".(Read their contributions here. )

Background to the bill

The carbon pricing mechanism is to commence on 1 July 2012.(More information on the carbon pricing mechanism and how it worked can be found on the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.) It is an emissions trading scheme that puts a price on carbon emissions. It applies to “liable entities” (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases). Initially the price of carbon will be fixed by the mechanism but from 1 July 2015 the price will be set by the market.

The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by Labor MP Stephen Jones. This means that it was successful.

The motion was:

(1) agrees that putting a price on carbon is an essential step in reducing carbon pollution and transforming our economy to achieve a clean energy future;(Read more about carbon pricing in Australia here.)

(2) notes that in many manufacturing regions in Australia, business, unions, government and community organisations are already working to develop green jobs and clean energy production processes; and

(3) agrees that governments must work with the manufacturing industry and communities to assist their transformation to meet the challenge of a carbon constrained future.

References

Yes

Yes

Passed by a small majority

How
"voted very strongly for"
is worked out

The MP's votes count towards a weighted average where the most important votes get
50 points,
less important votes get
10 points,
and less important votes for which the MP was absent get
2 points.
In important votes the MP gets awarded the full
50 points
for voting the same as the policy,
0 points
for voting against the policy, and
25 points
for not voting. In less important votes, the MP gets
10 points
for voting with the policy,
0 points
for voting against, and
1
(out of 2)
if absent.

Then, the number gets converted to a simple english language phrase based on the range of values it's within.

No of votes

Points

Out of

Most important votes (50 points)

MP voted with policy

4

200

200

MP voted against policy

0

0

0

MP absent

0

0

0

Less important votes (10 points)

MP voted with policy

10

100

100

MP voted against policy

0

0

0

Less important absentees (2 points)

MP absent*

0

0

0

Total:

300

300

*Pressure of other work means MPs or
Senators are not always available to vote – it does not always
indicate they have abstained. Therefore, being absent on a less
important vote makes a disproportionatly small
difference.